Can-cap placer.



P. S., P. H., 0. P. & E.- N. KOHLER. GAN GAP PLACER.

- APPLICATION FILED APR.23, 1912. 1,054,215, I Patented Feb.25, 1913.

2 BHEETSBHEET 1.

P. 8., P. H., 0. P. & E. N. KOHLER.

CAN GAP PLACER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 23, 1912.

1,054,215, Patented Feb.25, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER S. KOHLER, PAUL H. KOHLER, OTTO P. KOHLER, AND EMIL- N. KOHLER, 'OF ST;

MARYS, OHIO.

CAN-CAP PLACER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 23, 1912.

Serial No. 692,654.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, PETER S. KoHLnn, PAULII. KOHLER, O'rro P. KoHLnR, and EMIL N. KoHLnR, citizens of the United States, residing at St. Marys, county of Auglaize, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can- Cap Placer-s, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to can cap-placing machines and has for its object to provide a simple machine of this class which is comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, has few wearing parts, is eflicient in operation and adapted to be used in connection with existing canning machinery.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a can conveyer having the invention arranged thereon. Fig. 2 is a side elevation with parts shown in section on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged section of a detail .ofthe mechanism. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the caps, a portion thereof bein broken away to more clearly illustrate t e construction.

Referring to the drawings A indicates a conveyer frame-work, on which runs any suitable form of conveyer B. The cans C are carried by the conveyer B, the latter being provided with lugs D for the purpose of preventing the cans from sliding along the conveyer.

Secured to the frame A is a bracket 10 which carries a spindle 11, this spindle being secured to the bracket by means of set screw 12. The spindle 11 may be provided with a collar 13, on which loosely rests a star wheel 14, the teeth of which are indicated by the numeral 15 and arranged to be engaged by .the cans as they move along on the conveyer B, and thereby rotate the star wheel. Loosely mounted on the spindle 11 and the star wheel 14 is a sleeve 16 which may be provided at its lower end with a lug 17 adapted to be engaged by the end of an adjustable screw 18 arranged in a lug 19 on the star wheel. This arrangement of the lugs 17 and 19 and the screw 18 provides a driving connection between the star wheel and the sleeve 16 and permits the latter parts to be relatively adjusted. Secured to the top of the sleeve 16 is a bevel gear 20 which meshes with a comparatively small bevel pinion 21 arranged on a shaft 22. The shaft 22 is mounted in bearings 23 and 24 arranged on the under side of a plate 25, this plate being carried by a bracket 26 secured to the upper end of the spindle 11 by means of a set screw 27. In order to form a guard for the gears 20 and 21 the bracket 26 may be provided with a depending flange 28. The shaft 22 carries a crank disk 29, on which is a crank 30, the disk projecting upwardly through an opening 31 in the bracket 26. Secured to the bracket 26 in any suitable manner is a member 32, the upper portion of which is upwardly inclined and carries a cap chute or magazine 38, extending preferably in the direction of movement of the cans. From Fig. 2 it will be observed that the caps E move in the chute 33 in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the cans O. In order to deliver the caps from the chute 33 to the cans the member 32 is provided with an opening or chute 34 which is curved, as shown at 35 in Fig. 2, so that the caps will be moving in the direction of movement of the cans when they are delivered from the end 36 of the member 32. Secured to the member 32 at the end 36 thereof is a cross piece 37, to which is secured a flexible tongue 38 which is adapted to engage with the forward end of the cap and cause the same to be properly placed on the can. i

The upper side of the member 32 is provided with a pair of oppositely disposed guides 39 and 40 in which slides a cross head 41. The cross head 41 is reciprocated in the guides 39 and 40 by means of a connecting rod 42 which is connected with the crank pin 30. A hook 43 has one end pivotally connected at 44 with the connecting rod 42 and its other end formed somewhat in the shape of a fish hook as indicated at 45.-

The shank of the hook 43 passes through the cross head 41 between the cross members 46 of the latter and a sliding member 47 which is carried by the cross head and pressed against the hook by means of a suitable spring 48. The end 45 of the hook extends through a suitable slot 49 in the member 32 and is adapted to be moved back and forth therein as the machine operates. The member 32 carries at its outer end a bracket 50 which has hinged thereto a gate 51, this Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

front of the gate 51.

- number of teeth on the star wheel.

gate being provided at its lower end with a slot 52 which is adapted to receive the end of the hook. The gate 51Ymay be provided with a pair of upwardly extending arms 53, to which are connected the springs 54, the lower ends of these springs ring of solder a, the solder being arranged preferably on the interior and exterior of the cap.

-The operation of the machine is as follows: The chute 33 will ordinarily be kept full of caps with the convex side thereof uniformly facing upwardly. Owing to the peculiar shape of the lower end ofthe chute 33 the caps will arrange themselves substantially in, the manner shown in Fig. 2 in When a can on the conveyer B approaches the machine it will engage one of the teeth 15 of the star wheel and rotate the latter, and thereby cause the crank disk 29 to be rotated. The ratio of the gears 20 and 21 corresponds with the In the drawings we have illustrated the star wheel as having six teeth and the ratio of the gear 20 to the pinion 21 is therefore 6 tol. The arrangement of the star wheel'is such that when a can passes the machine it rotates the star wheel one-sixth of a revolution, and

therefore gives one complete revolutionto the disk 29. As the disk 29 rotates the cross head-4l is reciprocated and the hook 43 is moved up and down in the 'slot 49. In its upward movement the hook is carried to a point where the end 45 engages the ring of solder on the cap and therefore when the hook moves downwardly the cap next to the gate 51is carried along with the hook. In Fig. 2 the upper position of the hook is shown in dotted lines and the lower posi-- tion thereof is shown in full lines. The position of the cap when the hook reaches its lower position is shown in Fig. 2 and indi-. .cated by the letter I). From the position b the cap will be carried by gravity downwardly in the curved recess 35 into engagement with the spring 38. The mechanism is so timed that the cap will reach the end 36 of the member 32 when the can is in .pO- sition to receive the cap. The forward edge of the cap will strike the can and the spring 38, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, will press the cap against the top of the can until the edge of the cap engages the neck a of the can.

The cap will then be drawn along and out of the end 36, by the can, and the spring 38 will insure the cap being properly posi-' tioned on the can. In order to properly time themechanism the screw 18' may be adjusted to cause the cap to reach the end 36 of the member 32 either sooner or later as may be necessary. As the hook 43 begins to draw the cap under the gate 51 the latter will be swung on its hinge connection with the bracket 50 and extend the-springs 54. When the cap reaches a point where it is entirely free from the gate 51 the latter will be quickly drawn back to its initial position by the springs 54, the caps in the chute having in the meantime moved down wardly. When the gate strikes the caps in swinging back to its initial position it tends to cause them to be arranged in the manner shown in Fig. 2.

By having the mechanism actuated by the cans as they move along on the conveyer the caps will be delivered by the mechanism only at such times as there are cans to receive them.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the detailsiof' construction within the scope of, the claims and we therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details shown and. described.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a cap magazine, a chute adapted to deliver the caps from said magazine to the cans, means at the lower end of 5 said chute for positioning the caps on the cans, a swinging gate between said magazine and saidfchute, means for moving the caps from the magazine through the gate into the chute, and means for actuating said moving means.

. 2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of means for moving the cans, an inclined cap magazine adapted to convey the caps in a direction opposite to,105 the direction of movement of the cans, a' chute adapted to deliver the caps from said magazine to the cans and arranged to reverse the direction of movement of the caps, means for discharging the caps from the magazine into the chute one at a time, and means for actuating said discharging means.

'3. In a machine of the class described, means for moving the cans, a cap magazine,

a chute adapted to deliver the caps from said magazine to the cans, means at the end of said chute for positioning the caps on the cans, a spring-pressed swinging gate for normally holding the caps in the magazine,

a hook device for indirectly opening said gate and withdrawing the caps from said magazine one ata time, and means for actuating said hook device.

4. In a machine of the classdescribed, the

combination of means for moving the cans,

rod connecting said member and said crank,

- hook and a hook having pivotal connection with said rod and adapted to move the caps from said magazine into said chute one at a time.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination of means for moving cans through the machine, a cap magazine, a chute adapted to deliver the caps from said -magazine-to the cans, a member movable longitudinally of said chute, a crank, means for rotating said crank, a rod operatively connecting said member and said crank, and a hook p1votally connected with said rod and having its free end guided by said member and adapted to withdraw caps one at a time from said magazine into said chute. 6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of means for moving cans through the machine, a cap magazine supported above the cans, a chute adapted to deliver the caps from said magazine to the cans, a shaft having a crank thereon, means whereby said crank is given one complete revolution by each can as it moves through the machine, -a member movable longitudinally of said chute, a rod operatively' connectinig1 said crank and said member, and a aving one end pivotally connected with said rod and its other end guided by said member.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination of means for moving cans through the machine, a cap magazine supported above the cans, a springressed gate at the lower end of said.magaz1ne adapted to retain the 'caps therein, a shaft having a crank thereon, means whereby said shaft is given one complete revolution by each can as it passes through the machine, a chute adapted to deliver caps from said magazine -to the cans, a member movable longitudinally of said chute, a rod operatively connecting said member and said crank, and a hook having one end thereof pivotally connected with said rod and its other end guided by said member, said hook being arranged to move longitudinally of said chute and adapted to open said gate and withdraw caps from the magazine into said chute one at a time. I

In testimony whereof We aflixour signatures in presence of two witnesses.

PETER S. KOHLER.

' PAUL H. KOHLER.

OTTO P. KOHLER. EMIL N. KOHLER. Witnesses:

IVAR SPRINGER, L. C. BROEBECK. 

